I’ll be speaking to circuit owner Simon Gillett at the Autosport show tomorrow, so if you have any questions for him please leave them below.

Press release

?óÔé¼?ôDonington will deliver?óÔé¼?Ø

Donington Park was today given the green light to proceed with planned circuit developments, which will enable the venue to host the 2010 British Formula One Grand Prix. North West Leicestershire District Council granted planning permission for the first stage of improvements at an evening hearing in Coalville.

The permission was a significant milestone for Chief Executive Simon Gillett, who has spent six years researching and planning the project. Construction planning and design, which began six months ago, is now complete and a contractor has been appointed. Gillett ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ who holds a 150-year lease on the circuit ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ emerged victorious from the hearing, promising that ?óÔé¼?ôDonington will deliver?óÔé¼?Ø.

Gillett?óÔé¼Ôäós comment is likely to have struck a chord with critics who have consistently attacked the plans since Donington Park?óÔé¼Ôäós intention was announced last July. The determined entrepreneur has remained committed to delivery and has been insistent that his only response to the sceptics will be successful completion of the development.

?óÔé¼?ôWe will definitely be celebrating tonight,?óÔé¼?Ø Gillett exclaimed. ?óÔé¼?ôThis is a major step forward and one more target delivered?óÔé¼?Ø. I remain committed to approaching every stage of this development with the same passion and vigour with which we attacked the planning stage and I have endeavoured to ensure that the same is true of the people who will work with me on this project.

?óÔé¼?ôMy eye is always on that fixed end date of July 2010. I remain confident and positive that we can and will achieve everything that we have promised and I won?óÔé¼Ôäót rest until I am watching the British Grand Prix at Donington Park next year.?óÔé¼?Ø

His excitement at the positive news was mirrored by Donington Park landowner Tom Wheatcroft: “I’m delighted to see that the plans have been accepted – there is a lot of work ahead now for everyone and I am looking forward enthusiastically to 2010 and the arrival of the British F1 Grand Prix,”.

3 comments on Donington gets planning approval

My questions to him are. 1) On his ‘park-and-ride’ idea, please ask him if the roads too and from the track will be free of all other general traffic to allow only buses to transport people more freely effectively and efficiently too and from the car parks? 2) Also please ask him how long the actual building work will take and whether they will have time to test the track with other races and crowd management schemes beforehand?